Music and Psychoactive Substances: Cultural Practices, Adolescent Development and Music Therapy in Addiction Treatment
Jörg Fachner, Filippo Pasqualitto, Clemens Maidhof
IntechOpen eBooks March 18, 2026 DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.1014268 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Music therapy |
| Topics | Addiction Anxiety |
| Keywords | Pleasure Substance abuse Context archaeology Music therapy Active listening Intervention counseling Psychotherapist Developmental psychology Clinical psychology Euphoriant |
| Key points | Argues that the neurobiological overlap between drug-induced euphoria and music-elicited pleasure provides a theoretical basis for using music therapy as a complementary intervention in substance use disorder treatment. |
Abstract
Music and psychoactive substances play a key role in forming identity during adolescence. Grasping the historical, neurobiological, and clinical aspects of this relationship is crucial for exploring how music therapy (MT) can support recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). In this chapter, the discussion begins by framing adolescent risk-taking, including substance experimentation, as a way of testing the self within a social context and its boundaries. Psychoactive substances are examined not merely as objects of pathology but as tools that historically co-evolved with music and popular culture, all playing a role in normalizing and contextualizing their use for young people. By analyzing what’s “behind the scenes,” the chapter examines the neurobiological isomorphism between drug-induced euphoria and the pleasure elicited by listening to music, both of which strongly involve the brain’s dopaminergic reward system. This overlap provides the theoretical basis for using MT as a complementary intervention in the treatment of SUD. All in all, the chapter presents evidence of how MT modulates neural activity and contributes to symptom reduction, emotional regulation, and enhanced motivation, thereby supporting recovery in SUD treatment.